STORM DAMAGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 September 1938, Page 5

STORM DAMAGE

POSITION IN WAIRARAPA FLOODS RECEDING. MANY ROADS STILL BLOCKED. Speaking generally, the Wairarapa district escaped fairly lightly, as far as storm damage is concerned, as the result of last week’s deluge. Although slips occurred on many district roads, especially those in the Masterton County, no major damage occurred. Low-lying areas adjoining the Ruamahanga River in the South Wairarapa were inundated but yesterday the position was rapidly improving. Fortunately, the-Wairarapa Lake outlet was open and this enabled a good outflow of flood waters. In spite of this, however, the-Lake is at a particularly high level and many hundreds of acres of marginal lands are under water. The Mangapakeha Stream, according to the testimony- of residents of ■long standing, has never been seen at a higher level but the Whareama was well below record flood level. It is stated that 5J inches of rain fell in the Mangapakeha area in two days. The Masterton-Tinui Road has been reopened for traffic and the Castlepoint Road is ’also negotiable, though weak spots have shown up in places. The * slips on the Maungaraki Range on the main Te Wharau Road have been ' cleared, though the road is very slippery in places. The following roads are still blocked by slips: Masterton County, BlairlogieLangdale, Mangaparapara, Mangarai, and Ngaumu; Castlepoint County, Waimimi, Mataikona and Alfredton; Wairarapa South County, Kaiwhata. It is hoped to open the Martinborough-Mas-terton via Longbush road, in the Featherston County, today. It appears that a fair amount of damage to East Coast roads has occurred in the Featherston County, but as the telephone lines are down details are not available. When Mr J. G. Hanaghan, Placement Officer for the Wairarapa, was negotiating flood waters on the Park-vale-Kokotau Road on Friday evening his car stalled and he was placed in an unenviable predicament, with the flood waters slowly rising. Fortunately another car was able to tow the waterbound vehicle from danger by means of a length of fence wire as a tow-line but not before Mr Hanaghan found himself wading waist-deep in water to attach the wire to his car. GORGE REOPENED. BIG TASK ACCOMPLISHED QUICKLY. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) PALMERSTON N.. September 11.. ' The Manawatu Gorge road is now open for traffic. Large boulders and tons of debris fell in the major slip on Friday, almost on top of a previous slip, and rose to the level of the fence on the outside bank. Eleven men immediately went to work and, though they had been engaged since 4 o’clock that morning, carried on until after 10 p.m. A fairly quick job was made in clearing a track over the debris and traffic eventually proceeded over a long ramp of spoil.